A 15-year-old girl from Alabama lost her hand and leg in a shark attack but discovered God had bigger plans for her life.
Life can change in seconds. A phone call brings bad news. A doctor says words we never wanted to hear. An accident happens out of nowhere.
In these moments, we cry out to God asking why. We want answers right away, but God’s plan often takes time to unfold. Lulu Gribbin faced a terrible tragedy, but she discovered God had saved her for something bigger than she ever imagined.
Swimming Into Danger
In June 2024, Lulu Gribbin was on a fun beach trip with her mom and twin sister Ellie in Florida. She was swimming in waist-deep water at Seacrest Beach when she saw something that made her heart race.
Lulu saw a big brown shadow in the water near her. “I just remember seeing this big brown shadow, I just turned around and just started swimming as fast as I could,” she told Good Morning America.
Before she could swim away, the bull shark attacked her. Lulu never saw the shark’s tail, fins, or eyes. She just saw the shadow. When she lifted her hand out of the water, it was gone. “I raised my hand out of the water and there just was no hand there,” she said.
Ellie rushed to help her sister right away. She stayed calm and kept Lulu calm too. “I just knew kind of what she needed, what she needed to hear at the time,” Ellie said. “I just had to be there for her.”
Fighting for Her Life
Paramedics airlifted Lulu to a hospital in Pensacola. Her parents feared the worst. Her mom, Ann Blair Gribbin, could only pray: “Just keep breathing. Please keep breathing. God, please let her keep breathing.”
Her dad Joe flew in from Alabama, not knowing if his daughter would survive.
“It was terrifying,” he said. “Just not knowing, as I flew down to Pensacola, if I was going to see my daughter, or, you know, go to a funeral.”
Doctors saved Lulu’s life, but the damage was severe. She lost her left hand completely. After multiple surgeries, doctors had to amputate her right leg between her knee and hip.
God’s Miracle Becomes Clear
Lulu spent over two months at a special center in Charlotte. She had many procedures, including one that helps control prosthetic limbs. She also tried virtual reality therapy to help with phantom limb pain.
But the real healing came from her faith. Lulu knew God had saved her for a reason. “I think knowing that I have a large support system behind me, and just continuing to get better, not only for myself, but for them,” she said. “And just knowing that God decided to save me, and so just showing him that he performed a miracle on the right person.”
Turning Pain into Purpose for Others
Today, Lulu doesn’t let her injuries stop her. She plays golf with special attachments on her prosthetic. She learned to water ski again and started running with special equipment.
Her biggest dream? Competing in the Paralympics for track. When asked about this goal, she simply said, “Why not?”
Lulu discovered something that inspired her mission. Another shark attack had happened just 90 minutes before hers, only a few miles away.
“If I would’ve known about this, I would not have been in the water,” she said.
Now she’s pushing for “Lulu’s Law.” This would create a federal alert system like Amber Alerts but for shark attacks. It would warn people in real time when sharks attack nearby.
She also started the Lulu Strong Foundation. This organization helps other amputees get better treatments, including the virtual reality therapy that helped her.
Lulu’s strength comes from knowing God has a plan. She wants to show others that anything is possible when we trust Him. Her sister Ellie and her parents stand by her every step of the way.
WATCH: Shark Attack Survivor Lulu Gribbin Shares Her Inspiring Story
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